A solo splitboarder on Berthoud Pass came terrifyingly close to disaster Thursday when an avalanche tore through the Nitro Chute and swept him toward a band of cliffs. Grand County search-and-rescue volunteers quickly rigged a technical rope system, lowered a responder down to the rider, secured him above the drop and hauled him back up to the trailhead without a scratch. Crews said the rapid pullout likely prevented a catastrophic fall.
According to CBS Colorado, Grand County Search and Rescue members and an Alpine Rescue Team volunteer were recreating nearby when they saw the tail end of the slide and hustled to the debris field, arriving at about 11:45 a.m. They performed a transceiver sweep to ensure no other riders were buried or transmitting a beacon signal, while Winter Park Resort avalanche dog Biskit also searched the debris and found no one else in the slide path.
Grand County Dispatch had already received a 911 call from the solo rider, who reported that he had been carried in the avalanche but managed to stop above the cliffs on the west side of the pass. Grand County Search and Rescue later told CBS Colorado that "The subject was extremely lucky to survive this avalanche," noting the slide had run over cliffs that could have produced a devastating outcome if he had been pulled only a few more feet.
Rescuers then "skinned" to the top of the slide path, set up the rope system and rappelled down to the rider. After getting him into a harness, they climbed back up the slide path and guided him to the trailhead. The splitboarder returned home with no injuries, according to the teams on scene.
Inside the High-Angle Rope Rescue
Responders described the operation as a technical but routine steep-slope rescue for teams trained in this kind of work. One member descended on the rope, secured the rider in a rescue harness, and the rest of the team used fixed-line techniques to haul both of them back up to the top of the slide. By clearing the runout zone with a full transceiver sweep before committing rescuers to the slope, they cut down the risk of missing a buried victim.
Support on the mission came from Grand County EMS and the Winter Park dog team, and the whole effort wrapped up without the need for a flight or ambulance transport.
Nitro Chute's Dangerous Reputation
The Nitro Chute and neighboring lines above Berthoud Pass have a long history of serious, and sometimes fatal, avalanches, a track record that rescuers and forecasters regularly cite when urging caution. As reported by Summit Daily, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center keeps detailed accident reports for the area and highlights how quickly slab avalanches there can step down into weaker layers.
In January, a similar near-miss underscored that lesson and urged riders to treat even familiar lines with fresh caution every time they head out, according to Hoodline.
What Rescuers Want Backcountry Riders To Remember
Grand County crews used the close call as a reminder of the basics: travel with a partner, carry a beacon, shovel and probe, check the avalanche forecast and steer clear of wind-loaded or steep terrain when the hazard is elevated. Current outlooks from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, coupled with the steady stream of recent incidents, underline that human-triggered avalanches remain a real threat along the Front Range.
Local training programs and avalanche-dog teams continue to offer free or low-cost education for anyone heading into passes like Berthoud. In this case, the story ended as well as it possibly could: a rider who might easily have been swept over a cliff walked away uninjured. Grand County Search and Rescue thanked callers and partner agencies for the fast response and reminded backcountry users that solid gear and conservative decision-making are still the best lifesaving tools around.
